Mechanical control devices



@CL l, 1968 G. DE coYE DE CASTELET 3,403,574

MECHANICAL CONTROL DEVI CES Filed May 16, 1966 United States Patent O 3,403,574 MECHANICAL CONTROL DEVICES Gatan de Coye de Castelet, Billancourt, France, assignor i? Regie Nationale des Usines Renault, Billancourt,

rance Filed May 16, 1966, Ser. No. 550,272 Claims priority, application France, May 21, 1965, 18 011 1 Claim. (l. 'I4-471) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE -and movement perpendicular to its axis to effect the mutually independent longitudinal movements of translation of transmission elements.

This invention relates in general to mechanical control devices and has specific reference to control devices of the type adapted to actuate separately three control members through the medium of respectively three longitudinal translation transmission elements such as rods, wires and cables each having one end connected to the control device.

A particularly interesting application of this invention resides in air-conditioning systems of automative vehicles. As a rule, these systems comprise an air inlet duct equipped with a heating device or with a combined air heating and cooling device of the adjustable temperature type, this duct communicating with the passengers compartment on the one hand through a demisting duct equipped with an adjustable shutter and adapted to direct the -air ow towards the automobile windscreen and, on the other hand through an air-conditioning duct also provided with an adjustable shutter. The temperature and shutters are adjusted by maneuvering three separate control members. T'he temperature may be adjusted by modifying either the heating or cooling rate, or the position of a shutter whereby the 'air ow can be directed with the desired proportion through the heating element and/or a by-pass thereof. It is c-urrent practice to control the heating, demisting and air-temperature adjustment devices by means of sheathed cables from the instrument panel of the vehicle, the electric fan for accelerating the air llow through the air inlet duct being controlled by means of an ordinary electric switch. Up to now, a number of controls were available to the driver or passengers of a vehicle for adjusting the output, temperature and distribution of the air ilow for air-conditioning the passengers compartment and demisting the glass surfaces.

The control device according to this invention comprises a single control handle carried by one end of a rod, on the one hand, adapted to slide substantially coaxially in a socket mounted for rotation about its axis on a support pivotally mounted on a ixed base plate and, on the other hand, rotatably rigid with said socket. The ends of three longitudinal-translation transmission elements such as rods, wires or cables are connected respectively in such a manner to the other end of said rod, to` said pivoting support and to the free end of a lever arm secured to said socket, that respectively a sliding movement of said rod in said socket, a common pivotal Jmovement of said rod and said support, and a joint rotation of said rod, socket and lever arm about their axis will produce 3,403,574 Patented Oct. 1 1958 ICC separate and relatively independent longitudinal movements of said transmission elements. y g v l The operation of thevdevice broadly described hereinabove is extremely convenient for each desired result corresponds to a simple movement. In its specific application to the control of air-conditioning systems of vehicles it meets the requirement of minimizing the number of controls on instrument panels in order to relieve the driver and enable him to center his attention only on driving.

The invention will now be described with reference to a specic form of embodiment concerning an air-conditioning system of automotive vehicle. The description will be made with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of the complete control device;

FIGURE 2 is a section showing details of the device, and

FIGURE 3 is another section taken upon the line III-III of FIGURE 2.

On a cross member 1 rigid with the frame or body of the vehicle and located behind the instrument panel of the vehicle a ixed base plate 2 is secured and acts as an abutment to a cable sheath 3, for example by means of a clamp collar 4.

A flat pivoting support 5 parallel to the fixed base plate 2 is adapted to rotate freely about a pivot pin 6 rigid with the fixed base plate 2. This pivoting support 5 may be guided in the radial plane on said pivot pin 6 for example by means of a shoulder formed on this pin, in conjunction with a screw 7 or a nut or a circlip-type spring ring.

The pivoting support 5 consists of two arms 8 and 9 extending substantially at right angles to each other. The ends of two cable sheaths 10 and 11 are secured respectively at the ends of these arms 8 and 9 for example by means of cla-mp collars 12 and 13.

A rotary socket 14 is mounted on the pivoting support 5 by means of a semi-circular bearing 15 fitting in a circular groove 16 of socket 14 (see FIGURES 2 and 3) so that the socket 14 can rotate about its axis but is held against axial movements.

One end of socket 14 carries a lever arm 17 having secured to one end the cable 18 of sheath 10.

The socket 14 has formed therein a concentric bore 19 of such cross-sectional contour that it permits the axial sliding movement of a rod 20 while preventing any relative rotary motion between said rod 20 and said socket 14. FIGURE 2 shows by way of example a squaresectioned portion of rod 20 sliding with the minimum clearance in a bore 19 of same square cross-sectional contour.

The end of cable 21 sliding in sheath 3 is anchored to the pivoting support 5 at a point 22 thereof.

One end of rod 20 extends through a rectangularslot 24 formed in the instrument panel 23 and carries at its end projecting within the passengers compartment a handle 25 incorporating an electric switch actuatable by means of a push-button or knob 26. This switch is connected in series with the elect-ric circuit comprising an electric fan and a source of current by means of a pair of conductors 27 and 28. The electric fan (not shown) is inserted in the air inlet duct of the air-conditioning system of the vehicle.

The end of cable 29 in sheath 11 is anchored to the end of rod 20 which is opposite to the end carrying the control handle 25.

As clearly shown, the cable sections 18, 21 and 29 emerging from the relevant sheaths 10, 3 and 11 respectively and connected to the lever arm 17, pivoting support and rod end 20, respectively, are so directed that the rotation'of rod 20 about its axis, its pivotal movement about pivot pin 6 and its longitudinal sliding movement in socket 14 will cause independent longitudinal movements of translation respectively of cables 18, 21 and 29 in their sheaths 10, 3 and 11.

Cable 18 is connected to the temperature adjusting device (not shown) consisting for example of a shutter controlling the vehicle engine cooling water output through a radiator inserted in the path of the air supplied to the vehicle compartment. This adjustment device may also consist of a movable shutter for properly regulating the air ow directed through the heating radiator and/or a by-pass. Cable 21 is connected to the adjustment shutter (not shown) mounted in the duct supplying heated or fresh air to the passengers compartment, and cable 29 is connected to the adjustment shutter inserted in the demisting duct.

The mode of operation of the device described hereinabove is particularly simple:

The handle 25 can rotate about its axis in the direction of the arrow 30 through a predetermined angle, preferably not exceeding 90, and during this movement it carries along the rod 20, the socket 14 and the arm 17 actuating the cable 18. Between the endmost angular positions of handle 25 all the desired and permissible temperature values can be obtained. The handle 25 is also adapted to rotate in the direction of the arrows 31 about the pivot pin 6, thus carrying along the pivoting support 5. This movement causes the longitudinal translation of cable 21, the endmost positions of this angular movement corresponding, for example, to zero air output and maximum air output respectively, with a complete range of intermediate positions.

Finally, depressing the knob 26 will start or stop the t 4 electric fan provided for accelerating the air flow through the system.

Of course, anyone of these four operations is independent of the other three both in time and space.

I claim:

1. A mechanical control device permitting independent actuation of three dilferent control members comprising a fixed base plate, support means pivotally mounted of 'said base plate, a rod, a single control handle mounted on one end of said rod, socket means, said rod substantially axially slidably mounted in said socket means, said socket means beingtrotatably mounted on said support means for rotation about the rod axis, lever arm means rotatably solid with said socket means, three longitudinaltranslation transmission elements, end portions of said elements being connected respectively to the other end of said rod, to said pivoting support means and to the free end of said lever arm secured to said socket whereby a sliding movement of said rod in said socket, a common pivoting movement of said rod and said support means and a joint rotational movement of said rod, socket means and lever arm about their axes produce mutually independent longitudinal movements of translation of said transmission elements.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,355,960 12/1967i Bureck et al '74--471 2,460,374 2/ 1949 Walls 244-83 2,912,873 11/1959 Little '74-471 3,286,044 ll/ 1966 Barton et al 200-4 FRED C. MATTERN, In., Primary Examiner. B. T. CALLAHAN, Assistant Examiner. 

